In 2018 I got really into Panic! At the Disco's music, and that's the first time I explored Phantom Planet's music. At the end of 2018 I traveled to Los Angeles so I could see my favorite musician, Ryan Ross. (He used to be the lead guitarist and lyricist for Panic!At the Disco). The show was a Christmas themed, and featured a variety of different musicians including Ryan Ross and Alex Greenwald. Alex Greenwald is the lead singer and lyricist of Phantom Planet. At this particular show Ryan and Alex performed a song that they had cowritten together. I liked Alex's voice, but didn't really look much into his music at that time. Even though I hadn't gone up to introduce myself to him back then, Alex has told me twice that he recognizes me from that particular show. Luckily but some stroke a luck that night they're had been a professional photographer that captured the moment of me watching Alex and Ryan perform on stage back then, and it's one of my favorite pictures of all time. The way you can see me intently listening to them, pretty dress, pretty hair, fake candles causing my hair to glow. Alex is the one stood closest to me, and then the other is Ryan.
Ryan had been on a sort of hiatus since leaving Panic! At the Disco in 2010. He had his own band called the Young Veins in 2011, but after that had kind of disappeared except for occasional posts on social media. Luckily for me 2018 was the year he decided to start playing live shows again. Similarly Phantom Planet had gone on an indefinite hiatus after they had released their 2008 album. Alex had been apart of other side projects, but Phantom Planet wouldn't go off of their hiatus until 2019. In 2019 there was a clip of Ryan joining Alex on stage during a Phantom Planet show and singing Phantom Planet's song "Do the Panic" with them. Phantom Planet and Panic! At the Disco had toured together in 2008, and Phantom Planet played "Do the Panic" as one of the songs to open for Panic! After the clip had come out, I fell in love with that particular song, and would play it frequently. One of my past clients in 2020 also really liked the song and would usually ask me to play the song for her on YouTube when I would visit her house. She was 5 years old back then. Ryan Ross went on tour again in 2019, starting out with the a few states in the Southwest. This being the first tour he had done in years. I went back to LA the following year to see him perform again, and the special guest for the LA show was Alex. Ryan had been planning to go on tour again and release music in 2020, but that didn't happen. Since 2020 Ryan has pretty much disappeared from social media, except for an occasional post from one of his friends which happens 1-2x a year.
Back to Phantom Planet. Phantom Planet had rejoined together after being on hiatus, and started touring at the end of 2019. They're plans got cut short as well with 2020. In 2020 they released an album called "Devastator" and that's when I really got into Phantom Planet. I remember hearing a clip from "Through the Trees" on an Instagram story, and loving what I heard. When the album first came out and I listened through it the first time, I remember thinking a lot of the lyrics were very sad. Which goes along with the title of the album. A lot of the lyrics even though they're sad are deeply moving and poetic so I began to fall in love with the album, and consider it to be one of my top favorite albums.
Last year they had planned to do a show in Chicago, but ended up having to cancel it. They decided to do a virtual meet n' greet to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2nd album. (Phantom Planet was formed in 1994 originally and this album was released in 2002). They wanted to do a few shows playing all the way through their 2nd album in celebration. That's where last night comes in. Since attending the virtual meet n greet last year in March, I had been waiting for them to reschedule the Chicago show, and they finally did at the end of February this year. They announced 3 dates: Chicago, DC, and NYC. The reason for only 3 dates being that they are signed to a private record label, so they have more control over their own music. The downside of a private record label however is making little to no profit from doing live shows.
Then comes yesterday. Yesterday after working for a half day, I picked up my friend Rebecca and we drove down to Chicago. This show had the option to upgrade to VIP. VIP included seeing the band soundcheck, getting a vinyl copy of the remastered version of the record that sold out within minutes 2ish months ago, as well as getting to hang out with the band backstage before the show and share a toast with them with Old Fashioneds made by the band. The VIP also included bringing another person. This is rare, usually you would have to buy 2 separate VIP tickets for this. You would be able to check in for soundcheck starting at 4, with the soundcheck starting at around 5. We got there a little after 4. The weather was perfect and sunny. The Metro is located in Wrigleville so it's a safer, less sketchy area. The venue itself is a building that was built in the 1920s. It's very small and intimate on the inside so you didn't get lost in a huge crowd. Wrigleville is also located in Northern Chicago so it didn't take long to get to the venue, and we luckily didn't have an issue with traffic.
It was a little after 5 when they started letting those with VIP tickets in for sound check. I was able to stand front and center, and get a picture with them performing directly behind me, which was super cool. Since it was a show for the 20th anniversary of an album, I was excited when they played other songs not on the album. The way they were talking made it seem like those songs were on the playlist. At one point they asked their manager how much time they had left before the opening band would need to soundcheck. The answer was 10 minutes. I responded with "you can do two more songs then." Since I was front and center they heard me. I don't remember exactly how they responded but something along the lines of "she said two, but you don't have to do two." Alex made a joke on stage, and the guitarist just acted like he was crazy instead of playing along like he usually would.
Sound check ended after another song. I think they played about 5 total during soundcheck including "Do the Panic", "Always on My Mind", and "I Don't Mind". Sound check ended around 6:00 and 7:00 would be when the doors would open for the regular General Admission tickets. We would meet in the merch area at 7:40 before being taken backstage for a preshow toast, and hangout with the band before they went on. Right across the street from the venue was a hot dog/soft serve icecream restaurant which Rebecca and I both got milkshakes at while we waited. We talked and ate our milkshakes, before heading back to wait outside the venue. The milkshakes were actually really tasty.
At 7pm we entered the venue again and went into the main area by the stage. The 40 minutes seemed to pass by quick as Rebecca and I danced along to the preshow music which featured 90's alternative artists. Including: Weezer, Blink 182, Nickelback, and Yellowcard. It was fun just to let go, and have fun. One thing I appreciated about this particular show is that the audience was mostly people older than me. A lot of concerts I go to have a heavy teenage girl population, which is fine but I feel really out of place. This was an 18+ show, but in the past when I've been to 18+ shows, it just means you need a guardian with if you're under 18, which I did not see any of. During this part of the night I was extra grateful to have someone there with me that I could be silly with instead of going alone which wouldnt have been as fun.
While meeting in the merch area we were given the copy of the vinyl which was also signed by the band before heading backstage. All of the experience was surreal especially being backstage with the band. Everyone was handed an old fashioned and we toasted before the show. You got to stay backstage during most of the duration of the opening band playing. I debated on talking to Alex then, but thought I would let others who hadn't ever talked to him, talk to him first. A lot of fans shared stories from seeing them in 2008 and before. Since this was 1 of 3 dates multiple people had traveled in from other states. A fan that we met after the show had traveled in from Nashville.
After spending over a half hour backstage it was time to go back to the main room to wait for Phantom Planet to come on. When we got to the main room the opening band was playing the 2nd half of their last song. No offense to opening bands, but I was glad that I didn't have to sit through their whole set. The only thing that sucked about being backstage is that when we got to the main room it was filled with people, so getting front row wouldn't be possible. However we were able to get decently close, and have enough space between all the people around us. Which is not usually a thing at concerts. Usually their are multiple people in your personal space.
The show started, and between songs a video would play with messages from different people recalling memories from the specific album, or memories of past concerts with pictures from 20 years ago. During this, sometimes the video would go out or they would start playing the wrong song that didn't correlate with the videos, but they handled these technical difficulties easily. It was refreshing to see the sense of realness during this show. That glitches happen and it's okay. Chicago was also their first date of the 3 shows, so it made sense that things wouldn't be completely flawless. At one point the amp made a shrill noise due to the guitar connection. It seemed like it was part of the song at first.
I always forget how absolutely enamoring being at a concert live is, until I'm at one. Being at concerts is one of my favorite things, and Phantom Planet had a way of making their songs lively. They have a lot of slower songs, especially those that are on "The Guest", the album they were playing through. Even those songs they made super dancey and fun. Rebecca who had only heard one song from Phantom Planet before that day was also having a blast, and that was just so special to me. I love when other people fall in love with the music I like, and understand the way the music speaks to me. I sang along to the songs loudly along with the other members of the audience. During half way through one of their songs they started playing "The Phantom of the Opera" before switching back into the song they were originally playing.
After performing all the songs on "The Guest" they went off stage and made it seem like they were only going to play encore and then be done. This was however not the case. When they came back on they pranked us by saying they would only be playing 2 more songs, but it was definitely more like at least 5 after that. Alex started by saying that they said that they would play all the songs on "The Guest" but they had yet to play one song from the album. (There's a song called "The Guest" that was never added to the album, even though the album is literally named after the song.) Thinking that this was the song they would perform I said loudly "The Guest?" and as they started playing the song I thought for sure it was so I said even more loudly "Its The Guest, they're playing the Guest!" They were not in fact playing "The Guest" and I felt embarrassed. However I was redeemed when the next song they played after that happened to actually be "The Guest". They said that they were going to choose between two songs but knew which one the audience would probably go for, and then started playing "The Guest". I wonder if they played the song out of pity for me. Afterwards they started playing songs from other albums. The final song in which Alex crowdsurfed in the first few rows. Then the concert was done, but that's not where the night ends.
All parts of the band are vastly important. I feel like the lead singer gets most of the attention when the other band members matter just as much, and are crucial to the band's sound. I probably could have talked briefly with all of them looking back, but I'm glad I got to talk to Darren as well as Alex. I know during the Instagram lives people like to show Darren extra love as a way to let him know that everyone's not just there for Alex. I didn't want to seem pushy or make either feel uncomfortable when talking with them so I waited quietly as other fans talked with them. While I was next in line to meet Darren, the tour manager made the announcement about wrapping up conversations. I debated skipping talking to Darren, and just going by Alex instead. Rebecca encouraged me that I had time to do both, so I stayed to meet Darren. While talking to the fan before me he pulled out a pack of gum and offered it to the other fan. He asked if I wanted a piece too, and as I was reaching for a piece said I could have the whole almost full pack if I wanted. I declined. I was fortunate he hadn't pulled out the pack of gum when I was the one meeting him or I would have been very self-conscious about my breath smelling. He intently listened as I introduced myself, and told him how it was my first Phantom Planet concert, and how I had been at the virtual meet n' greet the year before. I told him I enjoyed watching the live shows, and he said that a couple of fans had mentioned really enjoying watching the lives as well. Rebecca took our picture before I went over by Alex.
While waiting to meet Alex there was a fan who was asking for tiny drawings from each of the band members, that she later wanted to get tattooed. Alex warned her about this being a terrible idea, and made fun of one of the other drawings done by a different band members. At this point the tour manager again pushed to move people along, so the rest of us waiting had to speed through what we wanted to say while quickly getting pictures as well. I got a picture with Alex then quickly told him about how it was my first Phantom Planet show, seeing him in 2018, and doing the virtual meet n' greet the year prior. He said he had recognized me from the virtual meet n' greet. I finished by telling him I enjoyed watching the livestreams on Instagram and he made the comment "you watch the livestreams, and you still came?" (Translation: We didn't scare you off with our weirdness during said livestreams.) To which I replied "I almost didn't need to come with all the songs performed on the livestream." He thanked me for coming, and said that he was glad I had enjoyed myself, but wasn't sure he could say the same for Rebecca. (She didn't look bored or anything, I think he was genuinely wondering why she hadn't interacted with any of them, and probably knew she had been my plus 1.) I assured him that she had really enjoyed the music despite not really knowing any of their songs beforehand, and with that we walked to our car, and headed back to Wisconsin. (For those wondering, I made sure to look at parking ahead of time and found a spot a little over 2 blocks away so it wouldn't take long to walk to after the show so we could stay as safe as possible. I was also luckily a nicer area of Chicago, and there were no other people around.
Update: The next day while looking at Instagram there was a short video of the fans backstage during the preshow meetup and Rebecca and I were in the clip. I could fill like a quarter to a half of album of pictures of me randomly appearing in the audience at different shows over the years.
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